Fed Cup: Belarus hosts the USA for the Final

Belarus will receive the team from the USA for the Fed Cup final next weekend in Minsk. For the Americans it would be their first victory since 2000, the hosts have never been able to win the Fed Cup before.

Captain Kathy Rinaldi, former number seven in the Women’s World Ranking, has nominated the reigning US opener Sloane Stephens, CoCo Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske for the final.

The 17th. and the last success of the US Fed Cup team so far was in 2000, when the Americans defeated Spain 5-0 in the final. The team was led by Billie Jean King.

“It would obviously mean an incredible lot to the girls, and it would be an honour for me personally to be the next trainer after Billie,”said Rinaldi in a press conference on Wednesday,”I asked Billie for advice. I have great respect for her. She’s always been very helpful over the past few years.”

Although the USA have to go away, they are the favourites for the final. Victoria Azarenka is missing from the Belarussian team due to her still unresolved situation regarding her child’s custody:”It breaks my heart not to be able to help Belarus in the final. The custody situation forces me to stay in California,”said the two-time Australian Open winner.

“It’s been a very hard year for me, but I’m already concentrating on 2018 and looking forward to playing in front of my fans again soon”, Azarenka played her last match on the 10th. July in Wimbledon when she was defeated by Simona Halep.

The final will be held in Minsk in a hall on Hartplatz. Aryna Sabalenka, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Vera Lapko and Olga Govortsova have been nominated for the White Russians.